Nana Gibson Adu will have hoped for better than this. Signed by Bayern Munich in 2024 from SpVgg Unterhahching and loaned straight back to them, the highly talented striker was meant to gather minutes in the 3. Liga at the tender age of 16 but struggled with consistent injury issues. Returning to Bayern this season, he suffered yet another injury that ruled him out for nearly the entire transfer window and essentially barred him from either cementing a spot with Bayern II or securing any loan move
away. Still, due to Austria’s extended transfer window, Bayern were able to announce that he had secured a move to Austrian Bundesliga side SCR Altach during the early days of September
Just two weeks later, however, he has been forced to return to Munich after Altach were denied a playing permit for Adu by UEFA. Transfermarkt.de captured what exactly happened and why UEFA withheld the permit:
The loan of Bayern talent Gibson Adu (17) to Austrian Bundesliga club SCR Altach is over before it really began – coach Fabio Ingolitsch confirmed this to the “Vorarlberger Nachrichten.” The center forward’s age and a UEFA regulation are to blame. “Gibson said goodbye to us with tears in his eyes. Even though he was only with us for ten days, it’s a bitter blow for such a young player,” said Ingolitsch. His contract with FC Bayern runs until 2027.
The reason for the early departure is the fact that the Austrians were denied a playing permit for Adu. “We tried it together with Bayern Munich, but because we’re a Category 4 club at the international level, we can’t sign players under 18. It’s a shame, but we’ll try again next year,” said Manuel Willam, assistant to the management.
According to UEFA regulations, international transfers of footballers under the age of 18 are only approved under certain conditions. For example, if the parents are relocating for professional reasons or if the new club can demonstrate a comprehensive youth development program. Category 4 is the highest license level required for clubs to participate in UEFA club competitions. Paradoxically, this does not automatically mean that a club has all the rights it needs, but rather that it is subject to strict regulations, particularly when dealing with underage players.
Unfortunately, Altach does not meet those requirements and so Adu, who turns 18 next February, cannot play for the high flying Austrian side. So now what?
Bayern have not made any official announcement at the time of writing, but the assumption is that he returns to Munich and gets integrated into the U-23s. Assuming, of course, he can still be registered for the Regionalliga Bayern at this stage). Even if he can be registered, however, he will likely be stuck behind Bayern’s two star summer striker signings in Anton Heinz and Richard Meier. Hopefully these next few months will not represent more lost development time for Adu but the possibility of it is unfortunately real.
When Bayern Munich traveled to Sinsheim on a short week after taking down Chelsea FC in the Champions League, it was never going to be easy.
Hoffenheim is well-coached, motivated, and playing with a real fire. For a weary Bayern Munich side, that meant trouble, but Vincent Kompany heavily rotated his men and while it was not always dominant or even pretty, the Bavarians showed their grit once again in a 4-1 win.
Let’s get into all of the details right here on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at the starting XI and why it was absolutely the right move to rotated so much.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions — and why that scary first half told us so much about where the squad stands.
- Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
